Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott have delivered their opening pitches in the 2013 federal election race with both promising "positive plans" for the future.

The Prime Minister says the election is about who Australians can "trust" while the Opposition Leader says it is really about "who is more fair dinkum".

Mr Rudd set the nation on course for a five-week election campaign after visiting the Governor-General yesterday afternoon to formally ask Quentin Bryce to issue the writs for a September 7 poll.

Just five weeks after he seized the Labor leadership back from Julia Gillard, Mr Rudd first announced the date via an email to supporters, beginning with the phrase: "It's on."

"This election will be about who the Australian people trust to best lead them through the difficult new economic challenges which now lie ahead," he said in a press conference publicly announcing the date.

"The choice is between the positive plans of the Coalition and more of the same under the Australian Labor Party and Mr Rudd.

"I am determined, my team is determined, to build a better Australia, with specific improvements that we will deliver.

"We will scrap the carbon tax, we will get the budget back under control, we will build the infrastructure of the future and we will stop the boats."

Labor will be fighting to retain government after six dramatic years in office, dominated by leadership struggles and debate over its handling of the vexing issues of asylum seekers, climate change, and the global financial crisis.

"We've made our mistakes in the past - that's true," Mr Rudd said.

"All governments do, even though most tend not to admit it.

"The key is to learn from our experience."

I am determined, my team is determined, to build a better Australia, with specific improvements that we will deliver.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott

A September 7 election means the planned referendum on the constitutional status of local governments will not go ahead, as voters would not have been given enough notice.

The referendum was supposed to happen on the same day as Ms Gillard's announced election date, September 14.

Local Government Minister Catherine King says Labor will hold the referendum at a later date.

Mr Rudd could have called the election for as late as November 30, but has clearly chosen to capitalise on the bounce in the polls following his return to the leadership.

Labor's primary vote increased by several points, taking it into the high-30s and the two party preferred vote narrowed to an even 50-50 in some polls.

Mr Rudd also made a personal pitch to voters saying they had "seen me at my highest highs and some of my lowest lows".

Alluding to his ousting as prime minister by Ms Gillard in 2010, he said those moments had "certainly made me a much stronger person".

"I think as a result you, the Australian people, know me pretty well - warts and all," he said.

Following widespread reports that the Labor Party's campaign funding has suffered from poor polling under Ms Gillard, the Prime Minister took the unusual step of calling for campaign volunteers and donations.

"We need each and every one of you to volunteer your time, your effort your enthusiasm and maybe even send us a $10 donation," he said.

The debate about when and where the two leaders will have a face-to-face debate has already begun.

Mr Rudd says he has accepted an invitation, issued by Sky TV, to debate Mr Abbott tomorrow night, however the Liberal Party wants the first debate to be held next Sunday at Canberra's National Press Club.

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